Heidi Ganahl

Ganahl was born in Orange County, California where she lived until she was 12. Her family then moved to Monument, Colorado, where she attended Lewis-Palmer High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Colorado Boulder, followed by a master's degree in healthcare administration from the University of Denver. In the spring of 1994, her husband, Bion Flammang, died in a plane crash.[8][9]

In her early years, Ganahl worked for the advertising firms Chapman Warwick and Salvati Montgomery Sakoda. She then held positions in account management at DUSA Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Rhone Poulenc (now Sanofi-Aventis), and founded the Maginot Group. She also launched a baby room catalog company, Nursery Works. In 2000, she launched Camp Bow Wow, which is now North America's largest and fastest-growing pet care franchise. Camp Bow Wow was acquired in August 2014 by VCA, Inc.[10] Ganahl is also the founder and president of the Colorado-based Fight Back Foundation, which funds and mentors social entrepreneurs seeking to help kids in Colorado.

In 2015, Ganahl was appointed by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to the School Safety and Youth in Crisis Committee established by Colorado Senate Bill 15-214, to study school safety and threat prevention in public and private schools, programs and methods for identifying and monitoring students in crisis, standardized protocols for school personnel for assessing potential threats, and the implementation of the Claire Davis School Safety Act.[11]

In 2019, Ganahl launched the lifestyle brand SheFactor.[12]

Ganahl was elected to the CU Board of Regents as an at-large member in 2016. She wants to see more conservatives (student, staff and faculty levels) at the University. [13]

2019 Women’s Chamber of Commerce Top 25 Most Powerful Women;[14] 2015 Parade Magazine Designing Women: 10 of the Most Amazing Female Entrepreneurs in U.S. History;[15] 2016 Colorado Brave Leader Award;[15] Inc 500/5000 five years running 2009-2014;[16] Fortune Most Promising Women Entrepreneur;[17] 2013 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Semi-Finalist; 2012 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist; Entrepreneur Franchise 500 seven years running 2007-2014;[18] 2010 WPO/AmEx Open – Top 50 Fastest Growing Women-Led Companies (#10); 2010 #39 in Inc Magazine “Top Consumer Product and Service Companies”; 2009 Denver Business Journal’s Colorado Business Woman of the Year; 2008 Stevie Award for Top Entrepreneur and for Top Company;[19] 2009 Top 50 Colorado Companies to Watch;[20] 2009 Colorado Biz “One of the Top 100 Woman Owned Companies”; Entrepreneur Magazine “One of America’s Top 50 Fastest Growing Woman Led Companies”; Tech Cocktail's 15 Female Entrepreneurs You Should Know (But Probably Don't).[21]